DR String Update

[Grant Harding]

So I had a couple of bad batches of DR strings that developed rust a few years ago and swapped brands for my uncoated strings. I sort of thought "probably the humidity here" and left about 20 sets to die in a drawer.

I read somewhere recently that DR had a problem with their string envelope supplier so decided to contact them to see if I could swap these for new sets and they've been really responsive and helpful so far.

Looking forward to throwing some Tite-fits on my #1 again.

[linthat22]

I have some in my "waiting box" to use, but the initial ones I used sounded dead and flat. Glad to hear you're having a great customer service experience with them!

[Grant Harding]

I used them for years (100+ sets of strings) and would never describe them as dead and flat. They're awesome strings.

 

Do you remember which set you tried and what are you comparing them to?

[Ratae Corieltauvorum]

Worst string I ever had the misfortune to waste my money on. Why bother when there are so many other good brands at reasonable prices

[Phil O'Keefe]

Worst string I ever had the misfortune to waste my money on. Why bother when there are so many other good brands at reasonable prices

 

I have to say that my experience with their strings left me less than impressed, but I am happy to hear the OP is being treated to excellent customer service. I'm always impressed whenever a company does right by their customers and whenever a customer takes the time to share that information - which is far less common than them sharing about a negative experience.

[Grant Harding]

I think they lost a lot of customers and potential customers due to the packaging and corrosion problem. I had many great experiences with their strings so I'm willing to give it another go.

[Ancient Mariner]

I've been happily using DRs on electric for more than a decade too, and find them to sound good and last well. We all have different requirements, and I prefer a smoother, rounder tone over a bright, sharp-edged one, so that may be why they work well for me.

[WRGKMC]

I used to use them back when they first started making them. They sounded pretty good and the thinner cores had a nice flex to them.

 

Some where along the line I started getting bad batches. I was buying 11's for my Epi Dot and they started having major intonation issues and fret buzz. best I could conclude was they had changed they're core sizes or cheapened up materials. The strings were so flat, I could adjust my saddles to extremes and still not get them sharp enough.

 

I had the same issue with Fender strings. They used to be made in the US and were great strings. They moved manufacturing to Japan, and strings like bullets tended to break more often at the bullet end. That's the result of overheating when creating the soldered ball end. That wasn't so bad because the strings still sounded good and played well so you could deal with it.

 

When they moved to Mexico they had a short duration where the strings were still pretty good, then the bottom fell out. I used to check them once every 6 months or so and buy a pack to see if they had corrected the horrific intonation issues they were having. I bought may last couple of sets maybe 3 years ago and I was done after that. I strung up a set and the D string was an entire semi tone flat and the saddle adjusted shorter then scale length. They must had swapped wrapped third strings for 4th strings and the tension is 5 frets lower then normal.

 

I still have two or three sets sitting on the shelf. Its a total waste of my time using them on a guitar.

 

The DR bass strings weren't too bad last time I tried them but they went dead really quick. The thinner cores give the stings fret memory too. If you use taller frets and press down hard they tend to bend at each fret causing some sour notes as they wear. Most of my instruments have very tall frets so I stick with stiffer metals that don't flex at frets so easily.

 

If you like the tone of DR's and are looking for a good substitute, Try labella. The Nickle strings are a bit more expensive but they do come with spare E and B strings so they're worth it. They have that same kind of slinky feel to them but the tone is even better.

 

I been using they're budget steel strings and getting amazing results lately. Intonation is spot on. I don't have to tweak anything changing sets. They take a little longer to break in but they will easily last twice as long, and not go dead or loose they're pitch. The stainless do exhibit heavier wear on regular frets if you have a strong grip. The sound quality you can get from them well outweighs that however.

[no_quarter]

I don't know about how they were in the past, but I can say that my experience with DR strings has been less than pleasurable. I thought in the spirit of the 4th of July, I'd pick up some of their red white and blues for my les paul, and what a mistake that was. Took over a month to arrive from GC (thereby, missing the 4th) and the blue "coating" (I'm pretty sure it's just some type of hyped up spray paint) flaked off of my high E string while it was being installed.

 

The packaging includes some long-winded explanation about how it takes so many thousands of strokes from a pick before the coating would wear - not flake - off, and I found that to be completely baseless. In the course of a week, only patches of white and blue remain on the strings while the red has managed to stay on.... so far. However, it should be noted that I found blobs of red "coating" on my fifth and sixth strings, which I'm pretty sure contributes to the lifeless sound of these strings. I didn't expect much, but I was really disappointed.

 

In my experience, you do have to make some compromises with regard to tone and sustain when dealing with coated strings, but this set made my guitar sound like I was strumming a wet cardboard box. Loss of color notwithstanding, they still sounded bad and felt sticky and grimy, particularly when sliding from a still-coated portion of the string to where it's immediately worn off. If you're looking for recommendations, I'd go with NYXLs. Great sound and they last long, at least for what I'm doing with them.

[Grant Harding]

I definitely don't like their coated strings either. They're pretty much a gimmick.

 

I'm using their new Veritas strings on my electric and acoustic at the moment and they're REALLY good strings so far. They each come with a spare set of plains, which is cool.

[Grant Harding]

Possibly the best bassist on the planet uses DR strings - Victor Wooten. Endorsements don't get much better.

[hellion_213]

I've been using DRs as my go-to for about 10-11 years or so, Pure Blues. I don't believe there's a better string out there. I do like Blue Steel and Cobalts, but both of those have little nuances that I don't find with the Pure Blues.

[badpenguin]

I've tried them from time to time, and while not experiencing any of the above issues, always go right back to my D'Addario EXL110's